Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and thus could not establish herbicide exposure. The cause of death was sepsis with an underlying condition of bacterial endocarditis, but there is no evidence to support a connection between these conditions and active service.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Restless Leg Syndrome is not etiologically related to his service-connected left ankle and knee disabilities, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen his claim for service connection for the residuals of a head injury, which includes loss of memory and confusion. The Board has ordered further development due to fire-related records issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural deficiencies, including failure to provide proper notice and a Statement of the Case to the appellant. The Veteran's spouse is seeking an earlier effective date for the apportionment of VA compensation benefits.

The Board finds that the appellant's prolonged absence without leave (AWOL) period of 539 days was due to compelling circumstances, and thus his discharge under other than honorable conditions does not constitute a statutory bar to VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the reduction of your varicose veins rating from 40 to 20 percent, effective December 30, 2009, was proper. You are not entitled to a higher evaluation for this condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have recognized active military service for the purpose of obtaining the one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, and therefore legal entitlement to this benefit is denied.

The Veteran's skin disorder, dermatophytosis, is found to be related to his military service and a grant of service connection is granted.

The Veteran's cause of death, malignant glioblastoma multiforme, was not service-connected as the disease did not manifest within one year after service and there is no evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's multiple myeloma and light chain nephropathy are related to his exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund due to a certification by the U.S. service department that the appellant did not have the requisite military service to establish eligibility.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion regarding his claimed immune deficiency disorder, which he contends is related to exposure to ionizing radiation during service. The case will be returned for further consideration.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disorder, finding no relationship between his current condition and military service. The increased rating claim for hemorrhoids was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, congestive heart failure due to atrial fibrillation, was not caused or contributed by his service-connected residuals of malaria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ventricular ectopy, to include as secondary to PTSD or type II diabetes mellitus, is being remanded due to inadequate examination and missing private records.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of shell fragment wounds to the right buttock and right leg have been rated at their maximum levels, with no additional disability found. The claims for increased ratings are therefore denied.